Leiolopisma telfairii (DESJARDIN, 1831)
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Leiolopisma telfairii?
Leiolopisma telfairii
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Eugongylinae (Eugongylini), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Scincus telfairii DESJARDIN 1831: 293 Leiolopisma Telfairi — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839: 742 Lygosoma telfairii — BOULENGER 1887: 270 Lygosoma (Hinulia) compressicaudum WERNER 1897 (?) Lygosoma (Leiolopisma) telfairi — SMITH 1937: 224 Leiolopisma telfairii — GREER 1974: 16 Leiolopisma telfairii — AUSTIN & ARNOLD 2006 |
| Distribution | Mauritius (restricted to Round Island) Type locality: Île Plate, Mauritius |
| Reproduction | oviparous (not imputed, fide Zimin et al. 2022) |
| Types | Syntype: MNHN-RA 7124 (2958), collected J. Desjardins (see Brygoo, 1985). Fate of other syntypes (from Round Island and Coin de Mire, the other localities mentioned in the description, at least), unknown. Syntypes: ZSM 80/1947, 1 adult, ZSM 81/1947/1-2 [compressicaudum] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Small to relatively large (snout-vent length up to 150 mm), primarily terrestrial skinks which generally lack supranasals (except in spenceri, palfreym.ani and some ocellatum), have a movable lower eyelid and possess well-developed prefrontals. Frontoparietals fused or distinct; lower eyelid either scaly (pseudornatum) or with a clear window (all other species); external ear opening fairly well developed; clutch and litter sizes variable, up to 9 (Greer 1974: 16). |
| Comment | Distribution: Has been living on Mauritius and Reunion but is extinct there now (only fossils can be found) Synonymy: A specimen in the ZSM labelled as Lygosoma (Hinulia) compressicaudum Werner, 1897 has another handwritten jar label by A. Greer who identifies the specimens as “probably Leiolopisma telfairii (Desjardin, 1831)”. A photo of this specimen is shown here. Type Species: Scincus telfairii is the type species of the genus Leiolopisma DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1839 (fide GREER 1974). For a diagnosis of the genus see ROBB 1975 or HARDY 1977: 230 Fossil species of Leiolopisma: Didosaurus mauritianus GÜNTHER 1877 (= Leiolopisma mauritiana or mauritianum) was described from subfossil remains from Mauritius but is now extinct). Its syntypes (BMNH 1965.95) were purchased by H.H. Slater (Transit of Venus Expedition. Whereabouts of the material collected by Edward Newton unknown. Described from a maxillary fragment with three teeth, five fragments of mandibles, seven femurs, and three partial humeri.). Austin & Arnold 2006 also isolated DNA from L. mauritania. |
| Etymology | Named after Dr. Charles Telfair (1778-1833), an Irish physician, naval surgeon, botanist, sugar planter, and, probably, rum smuggler. The genus name Leiolopisma" is derived from the Greek "leio" meaning smooth, and "lopisma" (the peel) referring to a sloughed outer layer. |
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